American Airlines tie up with Elon Musk's Starlink as flyers will have new features on-board

American Airlines said on Tuesday it will equip over 500 of its narrow-body aircraft with Starlink in-flight Wi-Fi for domestic and short-haul international routes, starting in the first quarter of ‌2027.

The ⁠financial terms ⁠of the deal were not disclosed.

With ​premium travel demand soaring since the COVID pandemic, airlines ​around the world have rushed to equip their fleet with faster and more reliable ​in-flight internet to ⁠win customers.


American ‌currently offers free Wi-Fi ​for all ​customers enrolled in its loyalty ⁠program on nearly all of its flights ​in partnership with AT&T.

The carrier had ​a mainline fleet of 1,022 aircraft, including 885 narrow-body jets, as of end-March.

Starlink itself has become a crucial revenue driver for its IPO-bound parent SpaceX, ‌with the satellite broadband unit being the only profitable business in ​2025 ​at the ⁠Elon Musk-owned company.

The world's largest satellite operator has inked deals with several U.S. airlines over the ​last few years, including Southwest, United and Alaska Airlines. It also counts long-haul carriers such as Singapore Airlines and Dubai's Emirates as customers.